Plot

The episode begins with the Wattersons handing over their valuable possessions to a strange figure, which turns out to be Nicole, who plans to hide their valuables from Frankie, Richard's father, before they go to visit him as she views him as a manipulative con artist. As they arrive at Frankie's junkyard, Frankie gives them a warm welcome and invites the family to his overwhelmingly filthy trailer. While Frankie goes out to get some water for his guests, the family begins to sympathize with him due to his living conditions. While discussing Frankie's absence during Richard´s childhood, Anais concludes that he must have been in prison and suggests they invite him to their house and create a familiar prison-like environment.

When Frankie arrives, the Wattersons have already turned their home into a correctional facility with Anais acting as the warden, Nicole as a prison guard and Gumball, Darwin and Richard as inmates. Nicole and Anais give Frankie a rather harsh welcome by forcing him into prison clothes and putting him in a "cell," where he endures some abuse from Gumball and Richard.

The next morning, the family continues to abuse the confused and disturbed Frankie. Upon waking up, its his turn to empty the bucket. When trying to shower, Richard appears and asks Frankie to assist him in bathing. Frankie is given slop for breakfast. He is forced to sit on Richard's lap and loses his appetite quickly. He questions Darwin's behavior, and as a result, Darwin puts a spork through his nose. In the yard, he is crying due to the punishment. Gumball decides to give him some cookies, but then accuses him of possessing contraband. He is put in the shed, which they call the hole. Anais then interviews him to get him out of the hole. Soon, Frankie realizes he can just leave, but the Wattersons stop him before he can get out the door. Thinking they are doing a great job, they decide to electrocute Frankie using the doorknob.

At night, he escapes with Gumball. The others realize their break out and try to track them. Frankie tries to call the police on the Wattersons, but the Doughnut Sheriff decides to go after them due to the striped jumpsuits. The Wattersons track down Frankie and Gumball to a forest and tracks them down with Richard being a hound. After going down to a sewer pipe, Frankie tells the Wattersons he will jump off into a cliff. The Wattersons then explain they thought he was in prison. However, Frankie says he never went to prison. He explains he got sentenced to 3 days in jail for selling parcels of the moon to senior citizens and was running away from it. After being questioned as to why he can not cope with living on the outside, Frankie confesses he was trying to get free rent and food out of them. Richard then says he could have just asked and offered to let him live with them. However, after all the abuse from the Wattersons, he declines, and jumps off the pipe with Gumball.

It is soon revealed that the pipe is not too far from the ground. The Doughnut Sheriff catches him confessing and says he is going to prison. Frankie decides to accept, since while there is mandatory work, there is also no rent and free food, ending the episode.

Supporting Characters

Minor Characters

Trivia

Although he says "Nah" and "Sure!" with the other Wattersons, Darwin does not have any particular lines in this episode.

This episode reveals Frankie has been running from the police for some time, also revealing why he left his family.

Continuity

This is Frankie's second appearance and major role. The first was in "The Signature."

This is the sixth episode where Darwin is seen wearing pants.

The item Darwin hands over to Nicole when she is collecting for prized possessions is a small treasure chest filled with bubbles. This is the same chest his biological parents gave him, first seen in "The Spoiler."

Gumball: [Back to tough voice] Hey! [Whacks Frankie with a sock making him yell] I get the top bunk, fish!

Frankie: Ugh, what is this?!

Gumball: [Normal voice] Shower gel in a sock. I couldn't find any soap.

Frankie: [Grumbles] Whatever, goodnight.

[Frankie gets on the bed and tries to sleep. Richard comes in and lays next to him]

Richard: Hey, Pop. How you holding up? They say the first night's the hardest. But don't worry, I got ya. [kisses Frankie on the cheek]

Nicole: LIGHTS OUT!

[Lights turn off; scene fades to morning]

Nicole: RISE AND SHINE, MAGGOTS!

Frankie: [gets up and hits his head on the top bunk] Ow!

Richard: Hurry up, Pop, you don't want to find out what happens if you're late. And it's your turn to empty the bucket.

Frankie: Ugh.

[Scene cuts to Frankie in the shower]

Frankie: Finally, some privacy.

[Richard shows up behind him]

Richard: Hey, pop. We all shower together here. Can you do my back?

Frankie: Uhhh, sure.

Richard: Thanks. [kisses Frankie]

[Scene cuts to Nicole serving breakfast]

Frankie: So what's for breakfast doll? Waffles? French toast? Froot Loops? [Nicole slams mushy food on his plate] It doesn't look good but I'm sure it tastes— [eats it] nope. So not that I really mind but aren't you gonna eat with us?

Nicole: [grabs Frankie by the neck] I don't eat with you. I'm not your friend. I don't even wanna see you unless I have to! [drops Frankie]

Frankie: [walks towards the table] Hmm, I think she's warming to me. Uhh, do you mind if I sit in that chair?

Gumball: Yes!

Frankie: Huh, right.

[Richard pats on his lap and winks. Frankie sighs and sits.]

Frankie: I think I've lost my appetite.

Richard: Thanks Pop. [kisses Frankie and eats the food from his plate]

Frankie: [Sees Darwin stab back and forth with his spork around his "finger," similarly to the Knife Game] Uh, isn't that a bit risky for a kid with only one finger?

Richard: Eh...I know my dad. I can sense a subtle sadness in his eyes.

[Frankie is seen crying a shooting out tears like a hose]

Gumball: Leave this to me. [Goes to Frankie]

Gumball: [Gruffly] Psst. I stole some cookies from the commissary. Want some?

Frankie: [Sniffs] For real?

Gumball: Yeah, man. Here you go. [Gives him a carton of cookies]

Frankie: [Gasps and receives the carton and eats one cookie] Thanks. See you later.

Gumball: I'm not finished yet.

Frankie: What do you mean?

Gumball: [Points to Frankie] CONTRABAND!

[Nicole runs to him and puts him in the shed.]

Nicole: YOU'RE GOING IN THE HOLE!

Frankie: WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME?!

[Nicole slams the door]

Frankie: [Prounding the door] LET ME OUT! WILL SOMEONE LET ME OUT?!

[After a while]

Frankie: [Sighs]

[Nicole opens the door. Anais enters; Nicole closes the door]

Anais: Okay, Mr, uh, Watterson. I hear you have some complaints about how we run things around here. [Sits on the chair]

Frankie: [Speaks angrily] You bet I do! They hosed me down, they fed me slop, they made me shower with them and look at me like I'm the weirdo. They insulted me, they stole my clothes, they locked me in here and this time, they didn't even give me a bucket! Hold on. I need more fingers. [Grows more fingers] Even that's not enough to count all the things they did to me. Wait. Are you doodling?

Anais: Yes. It's a picture of you playing a tiny violin! [Shows a picture to him] Like it? [Crumbles the paper and throws it to Frankie's head] I'm running a correctional facility, not some kindergarten for whining man-babies!

Frankie: Wait a minute. I'm asking a four year old to get me out of a shed, when I could just leave. [Comes out of the shed]

[After this, he takes her clothes and goes to the house's door. Before he holds door handle, Nicole talks to him]

Nicole: WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING?!

Frankie: Richard, your family is deranged! This place is like a prison! I'm out of here!

[Scene cuts to Frankie and Gumball hiding as a loud alarm comes off, as well as lights. Frankie runs off with Gumball]

Gumball: So where are we gonna lay low? Bolivia? Mexico? Chipotle?

Frankie: I gotta get these handcuffs off.

Gumball: Should we go to a crooked blacksmith? Bribe a lumberjack?

Frankie: No! We just go to the police!

[Frankie and Gumball confront with Doughnut Sheriff]

Frankie: So, officer, allow me to explain why I'm running through the streets in a striped jumpsuit handcuffed to a tattooed delinquent.

The Chase

Doughnut Sheriff: Huh...

[Frankie and Gumball run away from a police car, driven by the Doughnut Sheriff. To avoid the police officer, Frankie and Gumball stand still like a tree aside the police officer's path]

Doughnut Sheriff: [communicating to another police officer through a walkie-talkie] I'm in a pursuit for a fugitive handcuffed to a tattooed child!

Another police officer: You mean the 12-57?

Doughnut Sheriff: Uh, if you say so.

[Gumball and Frankie still run, but now, the rest of the Wattersons are chasing them. Gumball and Frankie jump off-road, and Nicole stops the car]

Nicole: Stop!

[They still run]

Nicole: Release the hound.

[Richard, acting like a hound, chases them down]

Frankie: Come on! We'll lose them in here!

[Frankie and Gumball go down a sewage pipe]

Frankie: These tunnels go on fore—

Nicole: Freeze! End of the line, dirtball!

Frankie: Get back! You people are insane! Don't come any closer, or we'll jump!

Gumball: What? We haven't discussed this!

Nicole: Frankie, no! We're not insane! We're doing it for you, to make you feel like you're in prison again!

Frankie: Prison? I never went to prison!

Anais: Then, where were you when Dad was growing up?

Frankie: I was running away from prison. I got sentenced to three days in jail for selling parcels of the moon to senior citizens.

Anais: And if you weren't in prison, then how come you can't cope with living on the outside?

Frankie: I was trying to get free rent and food out of you, okay?

Nicole: Ah, he was trying to scam us! I told you!

Richard: Ah, Dad, you should've just asked. You can stay with us whenever you want. In fact, why don't you come and live with us?

[The words "live with us" echo, as Frankie recalls all the memories from prison, such as Gumball hitting him a wet sock, Darwin attacking him with a spork, him being electrocuted, and him showering with his Dad]

Frankie: Nah.

[He falls off the end of the sewage pipe. Meanwhile, Gumball screams, and the Wattersons gasp. Frankie's head emerges, and it is shown that the "cliff" is not far off the ground. They just land on the old disused river]